Meet the Depressed

I was in a meeting mid-Friday afternoon when an administrator came in and apologized for interrupting. We didn't care because we were just about done. She announced that Tim Russert had died. She received a text from her daughter or somebody. Her announcement shocked us all. I said that South Buffalo must be going nuts--that was their boy! As the news spread, many asked--'I wonder what happened?" I already knew. Tim just had that big pizza and chicken wing eatin' build that screamed heart attack. Combine that with a stressful job and there's the answer.

I haven't watched Meet the Press in years. Partly because I realize that there is a lot more than meets the eye of mainstream media. Pundit shows help set the political agenda for the week and they can make and break politicians. Russert was touted as an aggressive, hard hitting journalist but some felt that he didn't go far enough. NBC is owned by a major corporation. GE produces weapons and has a strong interest in the war. Anyway, Russert knew who buttered his artery clogging bread so the boat was rocked only in the direction that suited the powers that be.

Leaving that aside, Russert was an excellent Buffalo ambassador. Yeah, he looked the part of the Buffalo "everyman"--big and paunchy but that's what made him easy to relate to. He sounded a bit like Phil Donahue, maybe that can be attributed to his years in Ohio. His legal training combined with his political background gave him the chops to do good interviews. His hardscrabble, work-a-day ethic that he earned in Buffalo and never forgot made him unique. I make fun of Baaaahflo all which ways to Sunday but God help the moron who starts poking fun of this podunk little enclave! If you haven't served time here, you have no right to say anything!

Nonetheless, Russert was a Washington insider with a sharp intellect. He also had that difficult to describe "Buffalo decency"--he seemed genuinely kind and polite. Many attribute that to his Catholic upbringing and education. I can safely say that it's just the way many of us are without having to put a religious brand on it. A Buffalonian will befriend and help you almost to the point of annoyance. Many of us are just loyal like that. To have the good essence of Buffalo so well-portrayed by Russert was a gift. He'll be missed as a political commentator who can make the difficult understandable to the Genny swilling football fan who's wading through Meet the Press so he can see the big game. Buffalo will miss him as a booster--he kept it real while being politically polished enough to make us look a little better.

It was nice to have my homie Paulie Paul in town for quick visit--it felt good to raise a glass of Buffalo's Flyin' Bison Aviator Red in honor of Tim Russert. Very apropos, Paulie's been a close friend for dare I say 27 years--something else that's special about Buffalo...good friends are friends for life.